A year after video footage of alleged abuse inside a special education classroom went viral, a federal judge has dismissed most of the resulting civil lawsuit against the Millsap Independent School District and its leaders — a ruling that has left parents frustrated and questioning what justice looks like for their children.
"It was not in favor of our children," one mother said, reflecting the disappointment felt by families who had hoped the civil case would hold the district accountable.
The case began in March 2025, after a video emerged showing educators at Millsap Elementary interacting with special needs students in ways that parents described as abusive.
One of the mothers, Carissa Cornelius, said the footage — captured by a former assistant teacher — showed her non‑verbal son, Alex, being struck, yelled at and objectified.
"One teacher swings at him… then the other hits him on the hand… he was called names… they cursed at him," Cornelius said.
Another parent, Victoria Garcia, said the video captured verbal threats and mistreatment of her daughter, who has cognitive disabilities.
Millsap ISD staff arrested, parents file lawsuit
The footage prompted a criminal investigation by the Texas Education Agency and the Parker County Sheriff's Office.
In March 2025, former Superintendent Edie Martin and teachers Jennifer Dale and Paxton Bean were arrested on charges including official oppression and injury to a child. Dale and Bean were seen in the video; Martin was charged with failure to report and intent to conceal.
A grand jury later returned misdemeanor indictments for four educators, including Martin, in related failure‑to‑report child abuse allegations.
In June 2025, three mothers, including Cornelius and Garcia, filed a federal lawsuit against Millsap ISD, Martin, principal Roxie Carter, Bean and Dale, alleging abuse, failure to train and supervise staff, and violation of disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
Parents argued the abuse was not isolated — but a pattern that should have been prevented and promptly addressed by district leadership. "To hear what these educators and administrators did… and go to such lengths to cover it up is an abomination," Garcia told CBS News Texas in an earlier report.
Judge rejects most lawsuit claims, dismisses lawsuit
But last week, a federal judge largely rejected those claims.
In a 23‑page opinion, the judge said the lawsuit failed to meet legal standards to hold Millsap ISD and most individual defendants liable under federal civil rights and disability law.
"This is not the kind of situation where MISD should be liable," the judge wrote, explaining the training and supervision claims did not meet legal requirements.
The judge also found that once school leaders were informed of the alleged abuse, they took corrective action — placing staff on leave, reporting to authorities, and commissioning an investigation.
"Once Martin and the school's principal… were informed of the violations, action was taken; People were removed, reported, and investigated," the ruling says.
The judge dismissed failure‑to‑train and failure‑to‑supervise claims, as well as ADA and Rehabilitation Act claims, concluding that the lawsuit did not show the alleged conduct was motivated by the students' disabilities.
The ruling allowed one claim to move forward, against Bean, for an allegation that he punched a student. The judge said that conduct, as described in the complaint, could rise above ordinary discipline and implicate a constitutional violation of the student's right to bodily integrity.
"Absent other information…the Court concludes… it was not corporal punishment when Bean struck [the student]," the ruling states, noting that striking a child with no legitimate disciplinary context could be unconstitutional.
The lawsuit was dismissed "with prejudice," meaning the same claims can't be refiled, but the remaining claim against Bean may proceed and the ruling can still be appealed.
Parents reacted with mixed emotions.
"I'm disappointed that the civil suit didn't go through," Garcia said in an interview, "but I'm very grateful that all three of them… are still facing criminal charges."
Cornelius said the experience has deeply affected her children. All the families involved in the suit have since removed their kids from public school, saying their children were traumatized by what happened.
Despite the setback, both mothers said they hope the case leads to wider change.
"That's why it's extremely important to try to get these laws changed," one parent said. "That's the only way we're going to make a difference… what we do can change things for the future."
Criminal charges against the educators remain active. A plea hearing for Martin and Dale is scheduled in the county court on Tuesday morning.
